President Donald Trump has said he agreed to visit Beijing in April and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit later next year, following a phone call between the two leaders.<\/p>\n
Trump and Xi – who met nearly a month ago in South Korea – discussed a range of issues including trade, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fentanyl and Taiwan, according to the president and China’s foreign ministry.<\/p>\n
“Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.<\/p>\n
China’s state new agency released a statement that said both countries should “keep up the momentum, keep moving forward in the right direction on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit”. <\/p>\n
The leaders met in Busan, South Korea in October, after which they agreed to a truce on tariffs. The US decided to cut a 20% tariff in half aimed at decreasing the flow of fentanyl. <\/p>\n
Tariffs remain on Chinese goods and average just below 50%. <\/p>\n
“Since then, the China-US relationship has generally maintained a steady and positive trajectory, and this is welcomed by the two countries and the broader international community,” the Chinese statement said.<\/p>\n
The US then pulled back a threat of 100% additional tariffs on Chinese goods, while China delayed its plan to introduce its latest round of rare earth export controls. <\/p>\n
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Monday call with Xi – which lasted about an hour – was focused on trade.<\/p>\n
“We are pleased with what we’ve seen from from the Chinese, and they feel the same way,” she said.<\/p>\n
In addition to discussing trade, Xi and Trump broached the topics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Taiwan.<\/p>\n
Xi told Trump that Taiwan’s “return to China” is essential for China’s vision for the “post-war international order”.<\/p>\n